By Nathalie Voit
United Airlines will increase pilot pay amid a severe shortage of professional aviators, the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), the union representing United pilots, said on June 24.
According to a two-year deal negotiated by ALPA, pilots at United Airlines will receive a 14.5% pay increase doled out in three separate increments over 18 months, CNBC reported. United pilots will also benefit from eight weeks of paid maternity leave under the new contract, a first for the air carrier. United said women represent about 7% of its pilot rank-and-file.
The average annual salary for a pilot at United ranges from $73,000 for first-time officers operating small aircraft to upwards of $340,000 for senior captains who pilot wide-body aircraft, according to pilot pay consultant and retired captain at United Kit Darby. However, Darby said pay is also subject to how many hours pilots fly.
The contract ALPA negotiated with United management is set to be voted on by the airline’s pilot personnel around mid-July, CNBC said. ALPA represents about 14,000 United pilots.
The agreement is the first of its kind for a major U.S. air carrier since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and arrives amid a severe U.S. pilot shortage. Due to staffing problems, U.S. air carriers from American Airlines to Delta Air Lines are cutting commercial air services to U.S. cities. American Airlines, on June 22, announced it would stop servicing four mid-size U.S. metro areas in the fall: Toledo, OH, Islip, NY, Ithaca, NY, and Dubuque, IO.
“In response to the regional pilot shortage affecting the airline industry, American Airlines has made the difficult decision to end service in Islip and Ithaca, New York, and Toledo, Ohio, effective Sept. 7,” the airline said in an emailed statement to AeroTime.
“Please note, this decision was made solely by the airline, primarily due to a shortage of regional pilots,” American said. “Unfortunately, we understand this is a current continued trend in the aviation industry.”
On June 21, more than 1,300 pilots from Southwest Airlines demonstrated outside a terminal at Dallas Love Field Airport, citing futile contract negotiations that have drawn out for more than two years. Meanwhile, pilots at Delta accused leadership two weeks ago of understaffing flights and general mismanagement, according to an open letter to Delta customers made public on June 16.
“We have been working on our days off, flying a record amount of overtime to help you get to your destination, the letter states. “At the current rate, by this fall, our pilots will have flown more overtime in 2022 than in the entirety of 2018 and 2019 combined, our busiest years to date.”
“We empathize and share in your frustration over the delays, cancellations, and disrupted travel plans you’ve experienced. We agree; it is unacceptable,” the pilots say.
As a result of the industry-wide staffing crisis, U.S. consumers are facing higher ticket prices. According to Airlines Reporting Corp, the average price for a domestic round-trip ticket in April increased to $585, the highest in seven years. This is an 8% increase over March and 45% more expensive than the average ticket price one year ago.
According to aviation industry analytics firm Oliver Wyman, the projected shortage of pilots in North America is expected to hit 12,000 by 2023.
